Geeignete Domizile im Angebot: 07/01/21

Donald Trump's presidency has offered boundless material for comedians, satirists and caricaturists, and his departure from the White House has been no exception. In this image, there are two 'domiciles' on offer: prison or the psychiatric ward. This presents a very clear image of Trump as criminal and mentally unsound - themes which have been present throughout his presidency. Interestingly, this interpretation seems to have equal representation both in English and German media, showing that even though the two countries differ on many political issues, their reception of Trump seems to have been fairly similar. The same cannot be said for overall perceptions of the US, however. An attitudes survey in 2020 suggests that 41% UK citizens have a positive view of the US, compared to 26% Germans. (Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/).

The case of Trump illustrates just how much political leaders affect global perceptions of their country. A survey by the PEW Research Center in 2017 showed that confidence in the US President and favourable opinions towards the US soared during Obama's presidency and proceeded to plummet in 2017 when Trump was elected.

(Source: https://www.dw.com/en/americans-like-angela-merkel-while-germans-loathe-donald-trump/a-42769570).

In general, Democrats are viewed more favourably in Germany than Republicans. However, Trump's ratings have been particularly low, undoubtedly exacerbated by his response to COVID-19. In a 2020 survey, only 9% Germans asked believed that the US had done a good job in handling the pandemic. This was an even lower rating than that given by those asked in the Netherlands (14%), the UK (16%) and Italy (18%). (Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/).

It is also interesting to note that Germany - and Angela Merkel - appear to be viewed relatively positively in the US. One poll showed that in 2017, 64% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans (despite Merkel's open scepticism towards Trump) had confidence in the German Chancellor, and the majority of American politicians have expressed a wish for their country to cooperate more closely with Germany. (Source: https://www.dw.com/en/americans-like-angela-merkel-while-germans-loathe-donald-trump/a-42769570)